Te wo Tazusaete
by Jaela-chan
Summary: This is a series of short Ouran romance fics. They are written with reader requests in mind, so you can help shape the stories! Tetsuya x Kasanoda Kazukiyo x Momoka. More couples to come.
1. Chapter 1 Tetsuya x Kasanoda

_In a way, you are the kindest and cruelest person I know._

_If your intention was to make me fall in love with you, and then go and fall in love with someone else, it's the cruelest thing you could have done._

_And yet, your saving me was the kindest deed I've ever experienced. Maybe that's why I can bring myself to forgive you. No, I can't help but forgive you._

_I'm even happy for you._

_No matter what, I want you to be as happy as I have been ever since the day you took me in. You deserve all of that and more. You deserve everything…_

_Waka._

Pulling long strands of wavy, golden hair into a high ponytail, Tetsuya hummed a tuneless song to himself under his breath. He yawned a bit before busying his hands with putting in his contacts. On this morning, too, he couldn't help but smile. Something about the air or the weather just got to him, and his lips curled up at the corners.

Life was good.

To tell the truth, the first few weeks of Tetsuya's new life here were tinged with worry and regret for him. Feelings that permeated his heart and brought upon him an overwhelming sense of guilt. He felt undeserving of this kindness and feared becoming spoiled in such an easy lifestyle.

Before long, though, these feeling he carried now began to develop, and Tetsuya devoted himself to simply repaying the debt he owed in whatever was he could. This debt was a serious one. As scary as it was for him to admit it, if Tetsuya had not been rescued when he was, he probably would not have lasted much longer.

That being the case, the debt that Tetsuya now owed was his very life.

Presently there were calls from the dojo behind him, and the very one to whom he owed so much burst forth from its doors. His hair was wild in color and style, and his face stern and expressive.

"Good morning, Waka," Tetsuya said pleasantly, smiling as he saw his savior's expression soften a bit.

"Morning." There was a pause, and then, "What are you doing here?" It was easy to tell by the lack of force in his voice that this query wasn't meant to be rude; his tone suggested mere curiosity.

"I thought I'd sweep the walk-ways," Tetsuya said lightly.

"Uh—ah, right. Is that all."

Tetsuya suppressed a laugh as he watched the man before him make that awkward expression and rub at the back of his neck. There was something endearing about those gauche moments Kasanoda had. Tetsuya just couldn't tell what, exactly.

"Are you going somewhere today?" It was a Sunday, but Kasanoda had his schoolbag slung over his shoulder.

"Nowhere in particular."

"Really?" Tetsuya raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, really. Why?" There was only the slightest hint of irritation in his voice.

This time, Tetsuya allowed himself to laugh—just a small chuckle, and he pointed with one slender finger to Kasanoda's schoolbag.

"Oh, this?" Some color spread into his cheeks. "I… I guess I grabbed it by habit." He coughed a bit.

Tetsuya smiled good-naturedly. "Ah, so I see." Inside, though, he felt a pang in his heart. _I love it when you blush like that when you're looking at me._

These were the feelings that Tetsuya struggled to control. The feelings that were unbearably deep and strong, but that he knew he must keep to himself. Desperate to force them away at this very moment, he looked into Kasanoda's eyes and beamed.

"I'm thinking about going to the supermarket today. Do you need me to get anything?"

Kasanoda's eyes wandered off somewhere, as if thinking, but the answer that inevitably came was,

"Nothing in particular."

"Alright." It was no matter. He had been cooking for Kasanoda long enough to know what he liked to eat.

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_Author's Notes(because I'm a dork): So ahhhh.. yes! That's what I have polished so far! Was it okay? Uhmm yeah... I made Tetsuya a megane-bishie, sort of(contacts). XD I thought it was cute... but hey, I'm the one who thinks that kind of thing is cute, right? Oh, it was weird to write as Tetsuya's inner thoughts. For the sake of this being fanfiction, I really intensified his feelings. Kasanoda, for contrast, I made to be very clueless and not really helpful in the progression of these two as a couple. Eventually I'm going to have to write him being at least a little lovey-dovey, which I'm kind of scared of, really. XD I don't have a clue how I'm going to do that. Therefore, for now, Tetsuya is going to be all alone in trying to make this into a decent love fic. Ganbatte, Ohime-sama!  
To come in future parts of the story: I took Jaime and Allan's ideas for the food that Kasanoda likes to eat. So directly after this part Tetsuya will take a trip to the supermarket to get ingredients for curry, steak, and fried noodles. Somehow I'm starting to get the idea that Kasanoda's like a little kid when he eats... I don't mean that he's messy, but that he probably wouldn't like to eat really exotic things and would stick to a few favorite foods and want to eat them all the time. XDD I also want to talk about Tetsuya being a good chef, write a scene in which Tetsuya has his hair down(I don't know what kind of scene that would be, but I've always wondered what it would look like!), show a few more recognizable Ouran characters, and... gulp do some sort of a romantic or at least tense scene. How am I planning to pull that off? O.o  
Err yeah, I have a sinking feeling that these comments were longer than the story itself. Forgive me? ;  
Please let me know of your requests for the story... Who should Tetsuya meet up with at the grocery store? Do you think Kasanoda and Tetsuya should eat in a Japanese-styled room or a western-styled one? Any other requests? Let me know!_


	2. Chapter 2 Tetsuya x Kasanoda

_Who deserves your love?_

_Surely… someone with the purest of souls, the kindest of hearts… a person without sin. A person who never causes anyone any pain._

_What makes me think that I'm at all deserving?_

_I'm not pure. I'm not kind._

_I am filthy. I am cruel. My life is full of sin and pain inflicted by my hand._

_I do not deserve your love, and yet I yearn so deeply for it that I will try with all I have in me to be cleansed, to become pure… to put my past behind me._

_I want, above all, so become someone who deserves your love._

_Is that… possible?_

Tetsuya had always loved the smell of the supermarket. So many fresh and delicious aromas mingled together, and out of all of them, it was his job to pick out the right ones for tonight's meal. There was something stimulating about that.

Tetsuya was an avid cook and longed to try out new and exotic recipes, but Kasanoda was a little too selective when it came to food to try anything too out of the ordinary. Tonight's dinner would be steak with curry and fried noodles.

Although… what a great price for mangos. And they were in season, too. Maybe Kasanoda's lack of sweet tooth wouldn't bar him from trying a little fruit, as long as it was prepared well. They looked good enough for it to be worth the risk in any case. Tetsuya wondered why more people weren't buying them, at this price. There was only one other person turning the fruit over carefully in her delicate fingers. She obviously knew just what to look for, because her examinations were thorough, and the mangos she ended up choosing were of an excellent quality.

The girl turned and smiled at Tetsuya briefly, lowering her head a bit as if in recognition. Tetsuya smiled too, and wondered where it was he knew her from. Those huge eyes were so familiar. Before he could figure it out, though, she was gone.

Tetsuya sighed and turned away from the mangos. Maybe he should just stick to things he knew Kasanoda would like already, after all. Although… look at those yubari melons. They weren't at that price the last time he was here…

A few hours later, Tetsuya began to prepare the evening meal. He stared a bit discontentedly at the bottle of steak dressing he'd bought. He would have so much rather made his own, but it was the kind they used at that restaurant Kasanoda liked so much. He sighed to himself and made up his mind to give it a try. Oh, but he'd make sure to give it his own personal touch, of course.

He retrieved the biggest skillet he could find and set to work. He melted just enough butter to cover the bottom of the skillet and added the steak dressing to it, then some lemon juice, salt, onion, and garlic. He hesitated a bit and then chopped some mushrooms to add to it. Kasanoda disliked fresh mushrooms, but Tetsuya was pretty sure he wouldn't mind them if they were fried. He let the aroma spread throughout the room, and then took to adding some persil, which sat on top of the rest of the ingredients prettily. Tetsuya added persil to any recipe could, not only for its fresh flavor, but for its pleasing appearance. When the mushrooms seemed to be tender, Tetsuya melted more butter into the pan and then the steaks. Now it was a matter of getting them to just over medium, the way Kasanoda liked. Then he could switch those to low heat on the back burner and make the curry, and the noodles…

It was then that the door sounded, and the room was soon overwhelmed by Kasanoda's commanding presence. Tetsuya turned and gave him a warm smile.

"I'm back," he waited for Kasanoda to say, and then answered with,

"Welcome home. I'm fixing dinner—I hope you don't mind if it won't be done for awhile.

"I don't really mind." Kasanoda turned his head away and stared off at something on the ceiling that only he could see. "It eh… it smells… good."

"I'm glad," Tetsuya said, and leaned forward a bit, shyly, to see if he could catch Kasanoda's reaction, but his face was blank. Or at least, it was as blank as Kasanoda's expressive face ever got. "I'm making steak," Tetsuya added. "Do you like mushrooms, Waka?"

It may have only been because he sensed the apprehension in Tetsuya's tone, but he responded, "I don't dislike them."

"Oh, good." Tetsuya couldn't tell if that answer was sincere or merely aimed to please, but either way… it made him happy.

"Are the mushrooms okay?" After twenty minutes or so of additional preparation, dinner was on the table. Both the kitchen and the dining room were western-styled, which seemed inexplicably to suit Kasanoda very well. _I'm pretty lucky, _Tetsuya thought privately. _I get to have dinner with him every night._

"I already told you I don't dislike them," Kasanoda said uncertainly.

Tetsuya giggled a bit.

"What's so funny?"

Tetsuya brushed off the question with a wave of his hand. "It's nothing. I was just thinking, you always praise my cooking without really saying anything positive at all."

"It's not that I dislike it." Kananoda's cheeks flushed in frustration. He just didn't quite know what Tetsuya was getting at sometimes.

"I know," Tetsuya said. "I just meant that it's kind of sweet."

"Eh? I don't think so at all. Is it supposed to be?"  
Tetsuya blinked, not quite comprehending Kasanoda's words. Suddenly it came to him_. He thinks I meant the food._ He couldn't help it; he burst out laughing.

"What, what?!"

"N-no! It's… nothing! Nothing. Really."

Kasanoda stared suspiciously at Tetsuya for a moment, but soon enough he returned to his plate and finished the meal without saying another word.

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_Author's comments: This one was about 50 longer than the last part, which is still way too short. This is because I rushed to get it done in time to be part of my best friend's Christmas present. She lives in HK and I live in the US, so it takes awhile for a package to go that far, especially during the holiday season… I feel guilty 'cause it's probably gonna be late anyway. .  
In this part I got to do a lot of things I wanted to do! Writing the part about Tetsuya cooking made me SO hungry. Especially so because I wrote it right before lunch. That's probably why I didn't write about him making the curry or the noodles. By the time the steak was simmering, I was already drooling! XD It's an actual recipe, too, and a good one. If you want it, let me know and I'll give it to you. I can also give you a recipe for the homemade steak sauce Tetsuya wanted to use instead of the readymade one. Later I might have Tetsuya cook more, and if I do, I'll make every recipe he uses a real one. Maybe it would be better for me to stick to strictly Japanese recipes, but I don't want to! And I don't think Tetsuya wants to, either.  
Oh yeah, and persil is just another name for parsley. ;  
I wanted to mention that I didn't mean the part about Kasanoda "trying some fruit" to be a pun or… or anything. I totally didn't mean anything by it! When I realized how suggestive it sounded, I wanted to cut out that section entirely! I couldn't, though, because it contained two reader requests: mention something about mangos(Allan), and Tetsuya meeting Haruhi at the supermarket(PDOTL).  
I didn't end up mentioning much about the dining room at all. I planned to make it a big part of that scene, but I got lazy and only mentioned it in passing. Well… that's how things happen sometimes. ;  
I think after this part, unfortunately, I might take a little break from Kasanoda and Tetsuya and write a bit about one of the other couples that'll appear in this little collection. I'll definitely come back to these two, though! At the latest, I'll write more of them for Valentine's Day. If a lot of people really want it, I'll write one sooner. Requests?  
The next couple I'll write about… well, there's one in particular I have in mind, but I'd love to hear some requests! I most like to write about somewhat-obscure couples, and I do not limit myself to boys' love. If there's anyone in particular you want me to write about, let me know! If not, I'll post some choices and let you vote.  
On a final note, thanks so much for the reviews and requests I received last time! Please continue to send them. Much love to all of you! Happy Holidays!_

-Jaela  



	3. Chapter 3 Kazukiyo x Momoka

"_Why don't you just tell her how you feel?" The Kansai-ben guy patted Kazukiyo on the back just a little too hard._

"_No!" he said for about the millionth time, his voice cracking a little._

"_Why not?"_

_Expectant looks like that always made it much harder to force out an answer. Kazukiyo shook his head. "Why not? I… I don't know. I guess I don't want to ruin what we have now."_

"And… and that concludes our report," I said, stealing a glance at the girl beside me. Momoka was smiling out at their classmates good-naturedly. Even the quickest glance at that smile makes me feel like I'm going to melt. There's just no other way to say it; Momoka is the cutest girl _ever_.

She caught me looking at her and smiled back. If a glance at an indirect smile is capable of melting me, a full-on smile in my direction is the equivalent of direct exposure to the rays of the sun; I feel like I'll disintegrate within milliseconds. I could feel my face burning, but I smiled back, trying to act natural. The two of us took our seats, and as soon as I was sure I'd slipped from her mind completely (which doesn't take long at all), I went back to stealing those glances at her. We've been in class together for years, and this year we are both class representatives for class 1-A at this high school. One important reason I went here, I'll admit, was to follow Momoka. The other is because my father is an alumnus of Ouran, and I have to attend here as much to please him as to avoid any weird questions from the media regarding the school I chose. I'm telling you this for a reason. I'd like to say that I came here wholly to follow Momoka, you see, but that wouldn't entirely be true. I'd also like to tell you that if Momoka hadn't chosen Ouran, I would have followed her to her school of choice anyway… but I don't even know the validity of that statement myself, so I won't take the risk of saying it.

You'll have to forgive me. My mind tends to wander when I get nervous, and I often get nervous. I think that's something of a vice of mine. Not that it's a mannerism that I feel like I can control… never mind; I'm rambling again.

I've had a crush on Kurakano Momoka for more than two years now. Sometimes I get the feeling that everyone knows that except for Momoka herself. It's like some sort of divine protection brought upon me that prevents her from noticing, no matter how idiotically obvious I can be sometimes. I have never made any effort to actually communicate my feelings. You could say I'm the kind of person who just doesn't have a lot of self-confidence. Because of that, you might think it's an excuse when I say that I never even intended to tell Momoka how I felt, or otherwise act on those feelings. I've always felt truly privileged to be someone that Momoka smiles at and calls her friend. I don't want to waste that happiness on an attempt at reaching couple status that would most likely crash and burn in the early stages anyway.

Maybe, then, it was a fatal oversight on my part to communicate what I've just told you to Hitachiin Kaoru. I know there isn't much of a plausible excuse for that, but I can explain my reasoning. Somehow, at the time, I saw Kaoru by himself as being relatively harmless. It was the twins together that I thought of as dangerous. I thought that if I spoke to only Kaoru, nothing would really happen. This, however, proved to be a major miscalculation. Despite my constant high scoring on exams and otherwise nearly-flawless performance in school, I am the kind of person who occasionally fails to think things through.

"Hikaru."

"Hm?"

"I'm bored."

"Oh." Hikaru turned to survey his brother's face. "What shall we do this time, then?"

Kaoru acted his part perfectly, leaving an adequate pause before giving his answer. "Well, I did have one thing in mind," he admitted. He would have to be careful about how he phrased his pitch. If Hikaru wasn't interested, it would be shot down in a mere second. "Do you remember, Hikaru, the couples' game we played in junior high?"

"I remember it," Hikaru said. So far so good; he sounded interested. "Where exactly are you planning to stir up trouble?"

In response, Kaoru carefully slid a card across the table. It was small and elaborately decorated with the words "Couples' Matching" written on it in neat katakana. It was a card used in a game the twins had played with their classmates before. Paticipants entered anonymously by writing their names on the back of a card and then returning it. The cards were then sorted into male and female groups and shuffled. Afterwards, each participant received another's card. The person whose name you received was declared your "Winning Match." If two people were given each other's names, they were declared a "Winning Couple" and won a full-expenses-paid first date together.

Curiously, Hikaru flipped the card over. "Souga," he read. "Who's that again?"

"Our class rep. Kazukiyo."

"Ah. Right." Hikaru paused. "It sounds kind of pointless," he said, causing Kaoru's heart to sink. "Haven't we agreed? He's of the sort that's no fun to tease."

"It frustrates me," Kaoru explained. "I don't know why, but it's annoying. If you like someone, you should make your feelings known to them. You shouldn't just sit there and accept things how they are if you really love someone! I can't accept such an answer." Kaoru has a stubborn look on his face.

Hikaru shrugged, smiling internally. "So you mean to help those two along for the sake of your own peace of mind."

Kaoru grinned.

Hikaru grinned, too.

"It could be interesting."

_Author's notes: This was fun to write. I love this couple to little bits and pieces. If you know of any other Kazukiyo x Momoka fics, please point me in that direction! Thanks. Anyway, I originally meant this chapter to contain what is now the beginning of the next one. There are three reasons this was released as it was. I wanted to post something and the part with chapter two was taking too long, I like cliff-hangers, and this part is exactly 1,000 words long. Wow! I think that's pretty neat._

_Uhmm, I had trouble developing Kazukiyo's character. I empathized as much as I could and tried comparing him to my brother(Ha!) and voila, we have my interpretation of Kazukiyo. I wanted him to sound intellectual but not snotty or boring, and I didn't want him to sound TOO pathetic… but yes, I wanted him to be pathetic. A bit. (smile)_

_Also, the twins gave me such a hard time. I don't think I have the skills necessary to interpret them, so I might not write much more about them after this. (sigh) I rewrote their dialogue again and again and I'm still not happy with it. However, I won't point our what's wrong with it if you wont. XD Just kidding, feel free to give me advice; I need it._

_I don't rightly know if the next chapter will be these two or Kasanoda and Tetsuya or a new couple… I guess it depends on what I feel like working on and what you guys want._

_Comments? Crits? Requests for future chapters? Keep the reviews coming. _


	4. Chapter 4 Kazukiyo x Momoka

The students of class 1-A entered their homeroom to find fliers laid neatly on their desks. The brightly colored papers explained the rules of the Couples' Matching Game in a brief yet thorough manner. Excitement spread almost tangibly throughout the classroom.

"Oooh, I remember this game from junior high! How lucky that we get the chance to play it again," one girl remarked, here eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, it's nostalgic, huh?" replied another dreamily, laying a cheek against her palm.

"Huh?" a third spoke up. "I wasn't in middle school with you guys, so I've never played it before." Her eyes scanned the flier, and color gradually spread to her face. "It sounds interesting," she muttered breathily.

It wasn't long at all before Haruhi walked into the room, and everyone knew without a doubt that the twins were right behind her. They looked on at the door expectantly. Sure enough, as soon as Haruhi had taken her seat, the two Hitachiins leapt into the room.

"Couples' Matching Gaaame!" They called out in unison to polite applause from some of their female classmates. When all was quiet, they continued with their act, speaking in turns.

"As you can see, there is a flier an each of your desks," Kaoru said.

"Read it over to understand the rules of our game. When you've finished, punch out the perforated-edged card in the center of the flier and clearly print your name on the back," Hikaru added.

"When you're finished, leave the card on your desk. The flier may be discarded."

"Cards will be collected during lunch period. If you do not wish to participate in the game, simply discard your flier."

"And that's all the rules! Begin!" They finished, speaking in unison once again, and then took their respective seats.

"What's all of this about?" Haruhi muttered to Kaoru, scrutinizing him with a suspicious look.

"Just watch," he said, grinning a signature devilish smile.

Haruhi shrugged and turned to her textbook. As expected, she slipped the flier into her desk without the slightest intention of filling it out.

"Haruhi-kun, you're not participating?" crooned Momoka.

That's such a shame; I would have liked to see the results," a girl who frequented the host club reflected, with a slightly pouty look.

Haruhi smiled refreshingly and turned in her seat to face the girls. "I just don't think this sort of thing can be determined by a game," she said. "It seems inappropriate to say that someone's true match can be told by randomly dealt cards."

"Well said, Haruhi! You're such an inspiration!" said one girl, clapping her hands lightly. "You think so deeply about things."

Several other girls nodded and muttered in consent, but filled out their cards all the same.

The time dragged on before lunch period. Several were unsure that the time would ever come, as time seemed stopped in its place, displayed faithfully by the classroom's wall clock. This was the spell the Hitachiin brothers unfailingly cast on those around them. Where the two were concerned, there was fun to be had, and a good deal in the way of expectation. Even many of those not believing in such a crude way of telling the desires of one's heart ventured to fill out the colorful cards. It was Hikaru and Kaoru's idea, after all, and no one could find a reason to disobey the curiosity and excitement the twins were capable of planting within them.

From across the classroom, Kaoru could see that there was a slight problem. He'd been watching Kazukiyo whenever he could manage it inconspicuously, and he didn't seem to be filling out his card. He stared at it on the desk, not touching it, as if it was corrosive. Eventually he picked it up and surveyed it for a moment, his eyes scanning the same lines again and again. He gulped and shoved it into his desk. Kaoru shook his head. He'd just have to make sure that Kazukiyo participated, even if it meant confronting him directly and risking giving away his motives.

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I have to say that being in this class always keeps me on my toes. It's always interesting, to say the very least.

I stared at that flier for a long time, trying to decide what to do. Everyone tends to go along with whatever the twins come up with, and I'm not usually an exception to the rule, either, despite what might be expected of someone such as me. Playing along with the Hitachiins is just something we all do. This, however, set me thinking. I realized that some other students had slipped the fliers into their desks, hardly touching them. They had mentioned that there was a special protocol for people who didn't wish to fill them out. Maybe, then, the twins hadn't planned for everyone to participate. I mulled that over in my mind a bit. I glanced back at Momoka. She was printing her name neatly on the back of her card. But of course she would; most of the girls were. This kind of thing appeals to girls. I let the fantasy of Momoka and I drawing each other's names grace my mind for a moment, but the idea was so unlikely that I had to laugh it off. I picked up my flier to read over the guidelines. My eyes stopped on one particular line. Puzzled, I read it over to make sure I'd interpreted it correctly.

_"Please note that entries are secret. By filling out a card, you are hereby agreeing not to share your results."_

That didn't really make sense. Of course, it is unreasonable to keep such a thing a secret. The girls, especially, would definitely share their results with their friends. That was how this kind of game of luck and chance worked. Getting and sharing your results was the whole point, wasn't it? This smelled of Hitachiin mischief, and something about it didn't sit right with me. I gulped and slid the flier into my desk. It was no good trying to figure out what to do right now. I'd have to think it over a little more thoroughly and interpret the trick in those words. Maybe they just meant to discourage the sharing of results, at least initially? But why…?

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"Interesting."

Kazukiyo jumped. Lunch period had just started. No sooner had he pulled the bento out from his desk than Kaoru's voice sounded in his ear. The softer-spoken of the two twins was leaning over Kazukiyo's shoulder. "There's nothinghere for me to collect. Could it be? You didn't fill out a card?"

Kazukiyo's face flushed. "I'm not exactly in to this kind of thing," he muttered quickly. He felt like he should be kinder to the twin who'd heard his feelings and consoled him so easily, but the Kaoru who'd just accosted him was practically a different person from the one who'd spoken to him so gently that day when they were trapped in the darkened school together. It was hard to know how to react.

"Oh, is that so?" Kaoru leaned in closer yet, and spoke in a softer tone, so as to prevent the rest of the lingering students from catching what he was saying. "You're the only one, Souga-kun, who likes someone in this class, and yet did not fill out a card."

Kazukiyo shook his head. "How do you know? Don't most people keep those things to themselves?"

Kaoru put a finger to his temple. "I suppose there's no way to know for sure, but… everyone filled out a card except myself and Hikaru, who are running the game, and Fujioka Haruhi, who simply would not comply, even after several attempts of persuasion."

"What?!" Kazukiyo looked around the classroom. He'd been sure there had been others who didn't fill out a card.

"Some were very discrete about it. It was as if they didn't want the others to know they were participating. Hmmm." Kaoru was playing this all out like a well-rehearsed act, and Kazukiyo wasn't sure what his lines were. He stayed silent for a moment, chewing on his lower lip, as if waiting for a prompter to help him along.

"Can I… can I ask…?"

"Oh?"

"What's this about not being allowed to show you results?"

Kaoru smiled knowingly, as if he'd known all along what Kazukiyo would say. "This is a game that you must play for yourself, and only yourself. We can not be sure that participants will not share their results, but by requesting that they do so, we are upholding the goal of the game. After all, it's no one else's business who your one true match is."

"That's ridiculous," Kazukiyo retorted, "there's no way you can really tell your true match with a game like this."

"Of course," Kaoru responded without missing a beat, "but in real life, the person you are meant to be with is no one else's business. When you come to know who that person is, that knowledge belongs to you alone. Others can persuade you to reconsider, but they can't see or touch the pure feeling within you. This little game of ours emulates that principle."

Kazukiyo lowered his eyes, trying to make sense of what Kaoru had said. "Here, just take it," he said at last, offering his Couples' Matching card over his shoulder.

"Ah, what's this? You've already filled it out."

"I did it discretely… I hadn't decided whether to hand it in or not. Since you seem so persistent, I'll participate after all."

Kaoru smiled. He patted Kazukiyo on the shoulder and left him without saying another word.

Perfect. Things would go according to plan after all.

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_First off, an apology. I know this chapter was incredibly boring. Think of it as the written equivalent of a filler episode. I'm sorry to post when I really didn't have anything written… at least nothing interesting. Gah. I didn't really mean for it to happen this way, but the "rising action" bit of the story changed in content a bit when I was writing it, so now I have to go back and change the climax. In other words, this section ended up working out differently content-wise and somehow became chapter-length, so the actually interesting part of the story had to be cut and separated into another chapter. What this means is this: this story was meant to be three parts. Two chapters would sum up the story, and then an epilogue would serve to reflect on it and tell what happens afterwards. Now I need three chapters, maybe even four, before the epilogue. _

_So, yeah, moving on. I tried my best to keep everyone in character since I failed at it so badly in the last chapter. Haruhi had a bit of dialogue, so I got to write words into her mouth for the first time! Since Hikaru is such a challenge for me, I focused on Kaoru with most of the dialogue. Kazukiyo has become a bizarre character whose personality resembles my brother's and my own. I'm so attached to him already! _

_I meant to include some reader requests in this chapter, but I don't think I got around to any, other than Allan's request to see more of the twins being clever and evil. XD Look forward to seeing more requests in the next chapter, since it should have more "action"._

_Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I have my next Tetsuya x Kasanoda chapter in the works too, so please tell me if you'd like to see that, the next chapter of this, or a new couple next time. It really helps me if I know what to focus on. Thanks again for reading! Keep the requests coming. Remember, reviews are my life energy! And I will see you all next time._


	5. Chapter 5 Tetsuya x Kasanoda

_I know. I probably know better than anyone. I know that you love cute things, especially animals. I know that you have little knowledge of cooking and cleaning, but that those are areas of interest for you. You even know how to sew a bit. I know that you're soft-hearted and that you get embarrassed easily. I know that when you do, you cover it up with anger or simply turn away. I know there's no real harsh intent behind that scary face you show. Sometimes I wonder if you know how much I know about you… and I wonder if you know how all of it makes me feel about you._

_Because you're someone special. I know it with all of my heart._

Tetsuya sucked on the end of his pen, his brows turned down in a quizzical expression. Several crumpled papers lay about his feet. He leaned on his elbows against the kitchen counter, a notepad before him. He was going out to the market again today, but Kasanoda wasn't home. He felt like he should write a note to let him know where he was in case he should return, but quickly found himself to be lacking in that particular sort of literary talent. Everything he wrote sounded too hurried and empty, or else ended up so warm-sounding that it made Tetsuya blush brightly to read it over again.

How could something that seemed so simple be so difficult?

He poised the pen over the paper once again. _Waka,_ he wrote… then quickly scribbled it out. _Ka…sa… _ Tetsuya blushed. No. _Ritsu…_? No, that was even worse. He crumpled up the note and tossed it aside. _Went to the market to buy things for dinner. Be back soon. –Tetsuya. _He'd written an almost identical note earlier and it has joined the pile of rejected ones for seeming too brief, but it would have to do. Tetsuya disposed of the failed attempts in the garbage can, and left the final one out where Kasanoda would be sure to see it. He sighed and grabbed his jacket and the scarf Kasanoda had given him one Christmas. He chuckled lightly to himself. All of that time and wasted paper just to leave a note that he wasn't entirely satisfied with after all.

Kasanoda wasn't really that far away when Tetsuya was having his note-writing crisis. In fact, he was within sight when he left for the supermarket. He was sitting underneath a tree, reading a book he'd tracked down in the school library. He saw Tetsuya walk off with that faint smile of his. He thought it was amazing that Tetsuya's face naturally relaxed into a smile, even when he was sleeping(er, not that he'd ever watched Tetsuya sleeping, of course). Tetsuya was the kind of person who had to make a conscious effort to display a negative countenance. Kasanoda had a secret envy for that, seeing as his own resting expression was something to be feared. Perhaps Tetsuya was like that because he truly had no deep-seated worries about life. Maybe he was truly a person at peace.

Of course, Kasanoda had no idea how wrong he really was.

----------

_Oh, look… he's sleeping._ Tetsuya had just returned for the supermarket, and happened to glance in the direction of the tree that Kasanoda was dozing under. Surely he hadn't come out here with the intention of taking a nap. For one thing, he wasn't in the most comfortable position, and for another, he'd left a book sitting open on its pages. Kasanoda knew better than to treat a book so harshly. It must have merely slipped out of his hand when he unexpectedly fell asleep. Tetsuya smiled softly and marked the page by slipping a fallen leaf between the pages and set it on its cover. Its cover… oh, it was a book of European poetry. _That's just like Waka, _he thought with a grin.

Kasanoda looked so peaceful sleeping there like that, even if his expression still wasn't relaxed. Maybe even in his sleep, Kasanoda had something disturbing him. Maybe he still wasn't really happy, despite all of Tetsuya's labor to preserve his peace of mind. Laying his jacket over Kasanoda's shoulders, Tetsuya headed in to start dinner.

But he, too, could hardly have been more wrong.

Tetsuya had one stinging thorn set deeply in his heart, and he simply had a smiling face that would not betray that.

Kasanoda was relatively free of worries, and was truly as a place where he was enjoying his life. He simply had a harsh expression that masked his contentment.

--------------

_What the—oh. I fell asleep…? _ Kasanoda awoke and sat up straight, causing Tetsuya's jacket to slip off of his shoulders and land in his lap. Oh, that was ni—wait. _Tetsuya's jacket?_ Kasanoda scratched the back of his head. Suddenly, the thought sunk in completely, and slowly, hesitantly, he looked to his right. _The book!_ He opened it to see his page reserved with a small leaf, stem laid across the spine of the book. Blood rushed to Kasanoda's face. Tetsuya had covered him up to keep him from catching a cold… did that mean he'd seen the book, too? _How embarrassing._ Kasanoda massaged his forehead in hopes of discouraging the hint of a headache that was trying to settle there. He was just glad that Tetsuya wasn't there when he discovered all of this, or he might have shown his scary face again.

Oh, something smelled really good… his cooking, for sure. That thought chased away any traces of an on-coming headache in an instant. _Better head in, then._

"Waka!" Tetsuya smiled welcomingly, untying the apron from his waist.

"Hey," Kasanoda muttered, turning away to hide his embarrassment. It had been a long time since he'd shown his "scary face" and was doing his best to hide his emotions in other ways. To his surprise, though, he turned to see a magnificently elaborate spread on the table. "Whoa… what's all this?"

"Oh, I guess I may have gotten a little carried away. Marutomi extended their annual sale, so I decided to make us a feast tonight! Is that okay?"

Kasanoda snuck a peek over his shoulder at Tetsuya's grinning face. Curiously, he seemed to be forcing the usual enthusiasm. "You didn't have to go to all the trouble, Tetsuya."

"It's okay. I made some new things that I think you might like. So, shall we eat?"

Sure enough, something didn't seem quite right. Tetsuya's voice was higher than usual and had a vague airy sound to it, but he seemed to be trying to cover it up.

"Right. Let's eat." Kasanoda playfully threw Tetsuya's jacket at him. He caught it just in time and chuckled good-naturedly. "Thanks… for that."

"Of course."

Kasanoda has truthfully never seen such a feast in all his life. The usual miso was the only familiar item on the table. The main dish was some sort of breaded fish decorated with sliced lemons. There were scalloped potatoes in a white cream sauce sprinkled with cilantro, and a huge plate piled with slices of every exotic fruit Kasanoda could not name. A distinct smell of freshly-baked bread overwhelmed his senses, too. _Just how long was I asleep,_ he wondered. _He was able to make all of this?_

The taste was true to the brilliant presentation of the food. The fish(almond-crusted, not breaded, Kasanoda realized) was so flavorful and fresh that he felt as though he could eat it every day for the rest of his life and never tire of it. The sweet bread rolls were of a melt-in-your-mouth quality. Everything was cooked to absolute perfection, but the biggest treat was the fruit spread. The variety was overwhelming, but Kasanoda soon picked a favorite.

"What's this called?" he asked, taking a bite out of a bright orange colored fruit that has a smooth, soft texture and a sweet taste.

"It's a sharon," Tetsuya responded. "I like them a lot. Do you like it too, Waka?"  
He nodded.

"Good. I'll buy one again sometime."

_Sure enough,_ Kasanoda thought again. He'd been to involved in eating to pay much attention to Tetsuya for awhile, but now it was becoming obvious again. Every time Tetsuya spoke, his voice sounded weaker, his forced enthusiasm less believable.

"Are you…" he began, not sure exactly how to ask.

"Hm?" There was that forced enthusiasm from Tetsuya again.

"Is something wrong, Tetsuya?"

He looked taken aback. "No, I'm fine! Why do you ask?"

The way he'd answered confirmed Kasanoda's suspicions. Anyone who was really alright wouldn't have answered so quickly and with so much emphasis, and might have said something along the lines of _No, nothing is wrong._ But Tetsuya had said _I am fine,_ therefore focusing on himself.

"You… Tetsuya, do you not feel well?"

"Huh? I…" he seemed to be trying to buy himself some time.

"You've been pushing yourself too hard." Kasanoda's voice was uncharacteristically harsh. Tetsuya had never seen him be so perceptive, either. "Going to all this trouble, it's no wonder you'd catch a cold."

"That's not—I mean, you're right, Waka. It probably is a cold. I just… I already had all of this planned by the time I realized it. Now that it's finished, I can just clean up these dishes and then I'll take it easy. Okay?"

"I'll do the dishes. You should get to bed." This was even more out of character for Kasanoda. He was definitely in rare form. He almost seemed angry in his forcefulness as he guided Tetsuya off to his bedroom and made him lay down.

"Oh, but wait just a second." Kasanoda paused and seemed to be thinking hard about something.

"What is it?" Tetsuya's cheeks were the color of pomegranate(another fruit that had been on the table) in a combination of embarrassment and fever.

"Do you… are you okay sleeping like that?"

Tetsuya nodded. "I always sleep in my clothes."

"No, I mean… your hair…" It was still tied back in a ponytail. "Won't that be uncomfortable?"

Tetsuya sat up. "Oh, you're right. I almost forgot about it." Before he could do anything, though, he saw Kasanoda lift his hand in the corner of his eye, and felt a tug at the back of his head.

Soft golden hair spilled out over Tetsuya's shoulders, framing his thin face.

"I always wondered what it looked like when it's not tied back," Kasanoda mused, his voice shaking a little. The truth was, he almost looked like a girl. _Like Cinderella,_ he couldn't help thinking. Color spread into his cheeks.

"Waka…" Tetsuya's heart was suddenly lively.

"What?" Kasanoda was clueless as ever. "Are you any worse? Maybe I should take your temperature."  
"No, I'm fine, really!" he himself couldn't tell if his voice wavered because he was about to laugh or about to cry.

"You're really sure?"

"Yes. Even if I am sick… I haven't felt this happy in a long time."

_What an odd thing to say, _Kasanoda thought.

-------------

_ONCE AGAIN, the mention of fruit is not meant to be a pun. I'm sorry that it sounds so weird… I really didn't mean anything by it._

_Moving on…_

_I had my share of hardships in writing this chapter, the main one being… my brother closing out of Microsoft word while I went upstairs for a moment and… not saving… causing me to lose about 400 words worth of work. Gah, had to do them over. ._

_Also, the whole time I was writing this chapter, I just wanted to get to that last part. It made me very impatient, so I had to go take a break to prevent the whole chapter from seeming rushed. Blah. So I remembered this song… it's called "Stay" by Joy Williams. The lyrics are about slowing down and not rushing off someplace and whatnot… I thought it might inspire me. And oh boy, did it! Not only did it inspire me to take my sweet time making this chapter nice, I realized that the lyrics really suit my dear TetsuKasa pairing. It kind of became their theme song, and I listened to it on repeat while writing. It's a lovely song. If you haven't heard it and want to, please message me and I will see to it that you hear it as soon as possible. )_

_Now, c'mon, I know a lot of you have probably been inspired by music, too. Care to share your stories with me?_

_Oh yeah, one more note about this chapter. Has anyone else had a sharon before? They're delicious, and I got to taste one for the first time over the holidays. I've been told it's a type of kaki(persimmon), but I've never been able to find one at a market anywhere. They must be rare._

_The next chapter will be very exciting due to the ingenious musings of one Hayai Akurei. Now that Tetsuya's bedridden, what's a clueless Kasanoda to do? I hope you'll read next time. (smile)  
_

_And as always, share your requests, critiques, random comments, etc… Your reviews and messages are my life energy!_


	6. Chapter 6 Tetsuya x Kasanoda

Author's Notes: I have some notes at the end of this chapter, too, so I won't go on for too long, but… basically, those of you who have read my profile know that I planned a double-chapter release for Valentine's Day. That plan was foiled by faulty school servers. Now I'm releasing a single chapter quite a while after the fact, but it's pretty long so hopefully you'll be satisfied with it. I also have two other chapters VERY close to completion, so next week or thereabouts, there might be a double-release after all.

So, yes. In a way, this is another apology for procrastinating. I didn't mean to make you wait, but after the servers got back up I was suddenly swamped with last-minute preparations for my Sweet 16, which is today. It feels weird that I'm that old… hahha. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter! (bows)

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The following morning, Kasanoda came dutifully to check on the bedridden Tetsuya. He meant to ask him how he was feeling, but Tetsuya's sleeping face looked so peaceful that Kasanoda didn't dare to wake him.

"Itekimasu," he said quietly, and turned to leave. The slightest sound, though, stopped him in his tracks. Just a soft rustling of sheets.

"Waka?" Tetsuya's normally clear voice was dusted with grogginess. When Kasanoda turned, Tetsuya's eyes were still closed, so it was hard to tell whether or not he was merely speaking out in his sleep.

"Tetsuya?" he answered tentatively.

"Iterasshai," Tetsuya mumbled.

"Ah. Right."

"Waka, wait…"

"Eh?"

"One more thing."

"Oh, uh… yes?"

"If I'm not feeling better," Tetsuya opened his eyes half-way and propped himself up on one elbow, "will you be able to get dinner for yourself? You know I wouldn't ask, except…" His smile was a bit weak, but his usual sincerity was just as substantial as ever. Kasanoda was slightly taken aback. Of course, if Tetsuya had forced himself to make an entire meal while running a fever the night before, he'd try to do it again unless his condition had gotten worse. For him to request such a thing, it must be serious. Although Kasanoda was uncertain about his ability to cook a meal for himself, he thought it best to let the half-asleep Cinderella rest at ease.

"Right, sure. I can manage it by myself." His voice only shook slightly with worry for his loyal companion, but inside, the anxiety was eating away at him.

Tetsuya made a small noise, like "Nn," but he could no longer keep himself awake. He slid back down to let his head rest on the pillow once more, and was asleep again before Kasanoda left the room.

------------------

"Please, I need your help!" Kasanoda bowed low, forehead nearly touching the floor.

"Ah," Haruhi said, "it's alright; get up. Of course I can help." She extended her hand to help Kasanoda up, and smiled serenely at him. "Although, you know… it's easy to buy pre-made dinners if you don't want to go to the trouble."

"N-no, I…" Kasanoda blushed deeply. "I've always wanted to try cooking. I've never really had a chance to, other than making cakes with you guys."

Haruhi reflected on that occasion a bit. "Oh, that's right. You seemed to be having a lot of fun that day. So, you're in to things like cooking, Casanova?"

He nodded. "I don't know if Tetsuya will feel up to eating, though." He quickly evaded the topic of his interests to avoid potential embarrassment. It wouldn't be good if Haruhi knew he was interested in flower arrangement and sewing, too.

Haruhi gave him an encouraging look. "It's okay. We'll make something that will be easy on Tetsuya-san's stomach," she said decisively.

Kasanoda nodded. "If it's not too much trouble, we can go together after school and get started right away."

"Right. That would be best."

On the other side of the room, Tamaki's eyes darkened. "Kyouya. Please arrange for after school transportation for everyone in the club, excepting Haruhi."

"Is it even worth it to ask why?" Kyouya's eyebrows were raised in question.

"Our precious daughter is being lured into the den of the yakuza!" Tamaki whispered dramatically.

"Right." Kyouya's tone was skeptical, but he flipped open his cellphone all the same.

It was already shaping up to be an interesting afternoon.

----------------

"I see," Haruhi muttered contemplatively, "so Tetsuya-san likes bento. You're really observant to notice that just based on a story he told about his childhood. You're the kind of person who really cares about others, huh?"

Kasanoda scuffled his feet a bit. Bashfully, he spoke up. "Not really. I just…"

"Sorry to interrupt you," Haruhi said suddenly, stopping in her tracks. "Have you… Do you remember seeing that car before?" She pointed to a dark blue, new-looking sports car just as it rounded the corner of the block and disappeared.

Kasanoda shook his head. "I hadn't noticed."  
"It looks like a pretty nice car compared to what you usually see in this area, and I swear I've seen the same one pass by at least four times now. I think either they're lost, or—" Her expression was hard to read as she abruptly cut off her sentence.

"…Or we're being followed," Kasanoda finished for her.

"Probably not, right?" It was clear that she was seeking reassurance.

"Of course. It's not likely." Kasanoda racked his mind for some reason he might be followed. The Sendo clan…? No. Tetsuya had given them quite a scare the last time they dared to show their faces, and there was no way they could know his current condition… right? He shivered slightly. They would have had to be watching them pretty closely to have that kind of information. Tetsuya hadn't been sick for long. It struck him, then, that this could have been their doing. It wouldn't be beyond the Sendo clan to poison someone's food to open an opportunity for themselves. Then again, they probably thought too highly of Tetsuya to do anything harmful to him. Kasanoda's mind was going wild, and he tried to push the ominous fantasies away.

Haruhi was giving him a look of concealed worry. For her sake, if nothing else, he had to be confident. He'd vowed to be a friend to her, and friends don't give friends reason to make such a desperate face.

"Rather, it's less than not likely. It's not possible." Kasanoda laughed heartily, and Haruhi's smile returned.

"We're almost there, anyway," Haruhi let him know. "You can see it from here." She gestured the Marutomi market that was little more that two blocks ahead.

Haruhi picked up an apple and paused, looking over her shoulder.

"Is something wrong?"

Haruhi shook her head. "Déjà vu," she muttered. She seemed a bit distracted. "I was here before once, and I was followed by…" She trailed off, and then suddenly looked over her shoulder. Not seeing what she expected to, Haruhi sighed and relaxed her shoulders.

"Did you say you were followed? When? Who followed you?"

Again, she shook her head. "It's not that. What I meant to say is, I saw Tetsuya-san here once." She smiled. "I'm not so sure he recognized me, though; I was wearing one of the outfits my dad got for me."

"You dad…? Huh?"  
"Oh, right. You've probably only seen me in my uniform, too. It's just that my dad likes me to wear things that are…" she paused, trying to think of an appropriate word. "Things that are kind of girly."

Kasanoda's cheeks colored a bit. He wanted to see that.

Haruhi was already off on another tangent, though. "This one's good," she said, turning a small apple over in her hand.

"How can you tell?"

Haruhi seemed eager to shed light on the subject. "First, the weight. You can pretty much estimate how dense and heavy an apple should feel by its size. It should also be firm. If it gives to your touch, it's no good. Watch for marks, too. The store will polish the apples to make them look nice even if they're not, so you have to make sure there are no marks or bruises. The scent is a good indicator, too. If it's old they'll wax it even more so people will still buy it, so if you can't smell the apple's scent over the wax, then it's no good anymore. Watch the stem, too. If it's withered or it's been pulled off, the apple is probably old." Realizing how long she'd been going on, Haruhi blushed and went quiet.

Kasanoda smiled, though. "And if it's got a hole in it, that means it's ripe and the worm already left," he joked.

Haruhi giggled good-naturedly.

Tamaki, who was hiding behind a magazine display, was about to burst. "Haruh—"

Hikaru and Kaoru each slapped a hand over Tamaki's mouth. "Be quiet! Won't Haruhi be angry with you if she discovers you've followed her? Well, won't she?!"

Tamaki lowered his eyes and nodded slowly. The twins removed their hands and stared at him. "My daughter is being lured in by the false charm of a yakuza… and I can't do anything but stand by and watch…" Tears welled up in Tamaki's eyes as he chattered on childishly. The twins scolded him as Kyouya stood back with a This-is-a-Waste-of-Time look on his face. Hunny had long since dragged Mori off to another aisle to look at a selection of particularly colorful fruit snacks.

"It'll be a miracle if we get out of here without you guys giving yourselves away," Kyouya muttered.

But somehow, they did.

----------------------

The group crouched outside as Haruhi and Kasanoda arrived at the Kasanoda house. Surprisingly, there were many people there to greet their master as he returned home with a shopping bag in either hand. There were too many of them for the remainder of the club to follow unnoticed, so they were simply left behind to watch.

"Are you satisfied yet?" Kyouya said, wondering if he was being too optimistic. "There's no way we can get in there; Kasanoda-kun obviously has too many men that would find us immediately suspicious."

Tamaki looked at him with pleading eyes. "There has to be a way."

"There isn't. I'm going home."

By some twist of shifting moods and fate, Hunny and Mori bowed out as well.

"I trust you can arrange for your own transportation when you decide to leave," Kyouya said as he climbed into the car. Tamaki nodded weakly but continued to watch like a hawk for some opening to get inside.

----------------

"Try to cut as thin as you can, but get all the skin off," Haruhi advised as Kasanoda held a knife against a bright apple awkwardly. "It's much easier to digest that way." She was preparing a rectangular frying pan on the stove. She turned on medium heat and peeked through some cabinets. "Oh! I didn't know if you had dashi, so I bought some, but this stuff is better. It's expensive though. I'll bring the stuff we bought home."

"Sure," Kasanoda said, trying to focus on the apple he was butchering. He'd never heard Haruhi so talkative before. _I guess she has a side like this to her, too._

Haruhi speedily went about her work, and before Kasanoda had finished peeling his second apple, she had beaten some eggs and mixed them in with the dashi, some soy sauce, and some kind of clear liquid that came in an oddly-shaped glass bottle. When she noticed Kasanoda's less-than-competent work on the apples, she choked back a laugh and asked him if he wanted to watch her and learn how to make tamagoyaki.

Kasanoda thought the precise and able way Haruhi rolled the egg was fascinating to watch.

Haruhi took it upon herself to finish peeling and slicing the apples, and Kasanoda busied himself making instant miso soup. When all of that was done and half of it was packed neatly into a light blue bento box, Kasanoda thought the task was done, but Haruhi pulled out a box of yellow cake mix.

"I'll make a lemon sauce to put over the top," Haruhi said. "I made it once before for my dad's birthday. It came out really well."

Kasanoda hadn't noticed Haruhi pulling this box off of the shelf. He gave her an awkward smile and rolled up his sleeves to get back to work.

------------------

"Tetsuya?"

"Waka?"

Surprisingly, Tetsuya was wide awake when Kasanoda entered.

"I didn't wake you?"  
"No. For some reason, I suddenly woke up a little while ago. Is someone else here, Waka? I thought I hear voices."

Kasanoda's pace quickened a bit for a reason he couldn't quite pinpoint. "Yeah, a friend… er… Fujioka Haruhi came to help me cook. I don't really know much, so…" he was pretty near to rubbing the back of his neck raw in his embarrassment.

"Ah, I see." That name still brought an inevitable pang into Tetsuya's heart, but he did his best to shake it off. Kasanoda had something behind his back. Curiously, he pointed to it. "Uh, Waka, that…"

"Oh! Right." Kasanoda had almost forgotten what he came in the room for in the first place. He held out the bento with both hands and lowered his head. "I'm probably no good at cooking, but you should eat something, to er… get back your strength and…" he trailed off, not knowing exactly what to say.

Tetsuya covered his mouth with one thin hand and giggled. "You sound like a schoolgirl offering lunch to the boy she likes," he said honestly, although he wondered if he ought to have said it when he saw the look on Kasanoda's face. Taking the offering, Tetsuya composed himself and smiled. "Thanks for the trouble. I don't know if you knew this, but I love bento." It was Tetsuya's turn to blush as he said those words softly. "Come to think of it, I'm sure you _did_ know. Thank you, Waka."

Kasanoda had arranged it himself with some instruction for Haruhi, so the arrangement of the food was ambitious, but a bit messy. There were the peeled apples and bananas that had been sectioned and sliced around the edges. Half of the tamagoyaki was cooked to perfection and half of it was burned a bit—Haruhi's and Kasanoda's work, respectively. There were meat balls, too—seasoned with persil, Tetsuya noticed. Kasanoda had obviously paid more attention when Tetsuya was cooking than he'd thought. The cake was a surprise. It looked like something he'd been served at a restaurant a long time ago.

"There's miso, too, and I can make tea… I'll have to go back and get it, though." Kasanoda looked uncertain in the lasting silence.

Tetsuya's eyes were shining. He kept his head low to disguise the fact that they were brimming with tears. Finally, Tetsuya nodded and pulled together some words. "Okay. There's some oolong on the third shelf in the pantry. To the left."

----------------

Meanwhile, Haruhi portioned out the remaining food to set the table. She was just reflecting on the elegance of a western-style dining room when a small noise stopped her in her tracks.

"Sh—don't giv—stop!"

_Oh, please,_ Haruhi begged. _Don't let those voices be who I think they are. _She kept trying to deny the familiarity of what she'd heard, but to no avail. When she heard some shifting and rustling, she followed the noise to the window and looked out. Seeing nothing, she looked down.

"Kaoru?! Hikaru?! Senpai?!" Haruhi was in disbelief. "I never thought you guys would stoop so low," she whispered furiously.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki cried out a little too loudly.

"Shh!" Haruhi warned frantically. "If you leave now, I'll forget this ever happened. If you don't, I won't forgive you." Haruhi winced internally at her own words and prayed that the twins wouldn't notice how put-on they were. No matter what, this called for drastic measures. And sure enough, Tamaki was eating it up. His eyes shone tearfully up at her. "I underst—"

"Haruhi?" Kasanoda's voice. He'd come back to the kitchen to fix the tea and retrieve the soup, only to find Haruhi leaning out of the kitchen window.

She quickly gave the mischievous hosts a final warning look and turned to face him. "Casanova," she answered. "Is Tetsuya-san doing well?"

"Uh, yeah… what were you doing just now?"  
"It's nothing. Only, do you think it might rain?"

"Probably not tonight. It may tomorrow."  
"Ah, I see. That's good."  
"Yeah." Kasanoda scrutinized Haruhi's face for a moment, but there was nothing to be read there. The water in the kettle was already boiling, so he got out the tea leaves Tetsuya had requested.

Haruhi leaned back against the kitchen counter and watched Kasanoda's hands move so much more certainly than when he'd fumbled with the apples. Obviously, he'd served tea before. Often, even. Before long, the scent of the steeping tea overwhelmed the room.

"It's oolong," Haruhi remarked. "I've only had it in bags before."

Kasanoda looked back at her, never having heard this tone of voice before. Somehow, leaning back with the window behind her, she looked very thin. It brought a strange melancholy into Kasanoda's chest. "It's uh… not done steeping yet, but if you can stay for dinner, we can have some," he offered.

Haruhi put her hands out in front of her and shook her head. "Oh no, I've imposed on you for too long. It's getting late, so I should head back."

"Ah," Kasanoda said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "Then, will you at least take some food home with you?"  
Haruhi accepted politely. _It looks like things will turn out okay after all, _she thought, relieved. _I'll just get out of here quickly and take those morons with me before—_

"Waka!" The voices of two of Kasanoda's men came from outside and were accompanied by a few strangled cries. "We've discovered intruders trespassing outside your quarters. Requesting permission to enter!"

"Eh?!" Kasanoda's eyes went wild. "Bring them in." His expression hardened as if he was bracing himself for something.

Haruhi wished with all her might that she could disappear off of the face of the earth.

-----------------

Tetsuya held his stomach, laughing as hard as he ever had. "So _that's_ what all the commotion was about." Tears ran down his face from the sheer delight of the story. "So, everyone went home, then?"

"Yeah. Somehow we ended up with enough food to send home with everyone."

Tetsuya sucked on his lower lip thoughtfully. "I can understand the others going home, but why do you suppose Fujioka-kun didn't stay to share the food you made?"

"Oh, that was… at first she said it was getting too late, but then she told me that I should…" he blushed. "…eat with you. You know, so I could… tend to you."

Tetsuya's face felt warm, too, but he was suddenly distracted by another thought. "In hindsight though, you should be especially glad that it was only those guys."

"Why 'especially?'"

"If it had been a rivaling family, wouldn't it have been embarrassing to be seen dressed like that?"

Kasanoda looked down and his face went red to compliment the green apron, which was trimmed with frills and decorated with cheerful-looking frogs. It had been months since Kasanoda had used his scary face to disguise his embarrassment, and this occasion was no exception.

The two shared a cheerful laugh and finished their dinner.

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Author's notes: Tee hee! Thanks again, Hayai Akurei, for inspiring the antics contained in this chapter. I meant to do more with the rest of the host club, but I rewrote a few times and gave up, 'cause I'm lazy like that. Ah well.

Oh, PDotL, did you notice my allusions to your fic? I hope you don't mind. Hahha.

I had a lot of fun with Baka Tono. I hadn't had an opportunity to write much about him yet, so I was pleased that I got to do that. I made him extra-silly, but I think that's okay. (laugh) _Our precious daughter is being lured into the den of the yakuza! _I love that line. If I hadn't been in school writing it, I might have laughed out loud. That is so… SO Tamaki.

Oh yeah, and I guess maybe it's weird for me to have Kasanoda and Haruhi on a date in a Tetsuya x Kasanoda fic…? Well, I'm actually not strongly opposed to Kasa x Haru. (gasps from audience) I just happen to ship for the cuter(in my opinion) of two very cute couples with Kasanoda as one half. I've actually considered trying a Kasa x Haru oneshot at some point, but I got impatient and slipped in Haruhi and Kasanoda on a date in this chapter. XD If you like them and want to read a REALLY good Kasa x Haru, go to Scottishfae's page and read "On the Brink of A New Year." It's just adorable. (love)


	7. Chapter 7 Kazukiyo x Momoka

"Hikaru-kun, Kaoru-kun, when are you going to announce the results?" An excited group of girls had cultivated in the third music room for lunch.

"Probably… tomorrow," Kaoru said thoughtfully.

"Oh, how exciting! I don't know if I can bear to wait!"

Hikaru grinned. "We don't mean to cause you ladies pain by forcing you to wait… but Kaoru and I have a special process for shuffling the cards, and it can be can be a bit… lengthy," he explained, slipping an arm around his brother's shoulder with a devilish look in his eyes.

"Hikaru," Kaoru said softly, his voice wavering. "Is it really okay to give so much away…? I'd be so embarrassed if these girls knew about… how we go about choosing the matches…"

"Eeee! A lengthy process? I wonder what it is!"

"Tell us, tell us!"

On the other side of the room, a second set of fangirls was questioning Haruhi.

"Haruhi-kun, since those two usually carry out their plans with you now, will you be helping out with Couples' Matching, too?"

"Ooh! I want Haruhi to match my card!"

Haruhi smiled good-naturedly but shook her head. "No, I helped collect the cards, but that's all the more I'll be participating in this particular plan. We'll just have to trust Hikaru and Kaoru."

"Haruhi-kun, I heard that Hikaru-kun was talking to Souga-kun before lunch and eventually convinced him to hand in a card. You were there, so you know, right?"

At the next table, Hunny was entertaining two short-haired girls and eating a chocolate pie. Without even a remote change in his demeanor, he perked up his ears to listen.

"Oh, well that's…" Haruhi raised her eyes reflectively. "It was probably Kaoru, rather, who was talking to him. I think the two of them want to help our class rep to not be so shy anymore."

"Ah, what a noble cause!" Although none of them would say it, each of the girls understood a little better than they were letting on. All except for Kurakano Momoka, whose thoughts were a mystery to the rest.

Hunny, who continued to look unfazed, understood a little better than any of them. _That's just like Kao-chan, _he thought to himself. _It reminds me of what he did for Hika-chan in Karuizawa. _Hunny grinned at the girls. "My tea is all gone! Do you two want some more too?"

-------------------------

"You know, Takashi," Hunny explained, dignified enthusiasm accompanying his childish voice, "Kao-chan is always looking out for others, isn't he." The stoic figure and his diminutive "lovely item", along with the rest of the club members, were preparing to go home for the day. Mori idly shuffled through his bag to make sure he had everything he needed, and Hunny sat on the piano seat, his leg dangling. Being on the opposite side of the room, they were out of earshot of the twins, who were speaking in unnecessarily low voices to one another.

"Aa," Mori agreed.

"So Kao-chan is a really good person, huh. I think it's really good, what he's doing this time, huh."

"Aa."

Kyouya approached the two momentarily and asked Mori to carry some props boxes to the back closet, so Hunny agreed to meet him outside so they could go home together. He grinned at Kaoru on the way out, leaving him bewildered.

When the twins left the third music room, Kaoru was met with another bewildering surprise.

"How can anyone be declared a 'Winning Couple' if we aren't permitted to show our results?" Kazukiyo's face was set sternly.

Kaoru paused for a moment, and then chuckled lightly. He wondered how long Kazukiyo had been waiting there just to ask that question. "So you've figured it out, have you?" he leaned in toward the bespectacled boy, surveying his expression. "You're right; there is a crucial flaw in the rules. In other words, the game is not functional, is it?"

"What are you getting at? You wrote the rules to be contradictory on purpose?" Kazukiyo's mind was reeling, but he couldn't figure it out. "That would mean you never intended to… I don't understand," he admitted.

Kaoru grinned. "Again, you're correct. I've said something confusing though; allow me to clarify. I said the game is not functional, and that's not entirely true. The game will not function as described due to the addition of the secret ballots rule. However, just because something will not function as described does not mean that it cannot serve a function."

"In other words, you have another purpose for all of us turning in cards with our names on them."

Kaoru closed his eyes and smiled, shaking his head slowly. "As expected from our class rep. There isn't a single flaw in your logic. Hikaru, shall we go?"

"Yes, we should get going. It's getting late."

-------------------

That night, Hikaru and Kaoru threw away all of the ballots except for one.

-------------------

Class 1-A returned to find solid red envelopes on their desks. Low whispers became the ambience of the room. Everyone, especially the girls, was eager to tear away the red paper to reveal the fateful name on the card concealed within. However, it was the unwritten etiquette to wait for the twins to make their entrance. What seemed like countless minutes later, Haruhi came in and sat down, and everything went still and silent.

Hikaru entered first with Kaoru directly behind him. They were a perfect two-man single file line, and their movements were as perfectly synchronized as those of a drill team. They gave the room casual, slightly puzzled looks, and spoke together in an inquisitive tone. "What's this? You haven't opened the envelopes yet?"

There was a delayed reaction of extreme excitement, and a collective racket of tearing paper.

_It says "Kurakano Momoka," of course, _Kazukiyo mused. _I expected that much. If this turned out so predictably, I can only assume that the name on Momoka's card is…_

Momoka drew in a deep gasp, and her face went crimson. "But how…?" Kazukiyo could just make out those first few words, and the rest came out too quietly to be intelligible from where he sat. She sounded breathless, and shock registered in her eyes.

_I can only assume that the name on Momoka's card… is mine. So what's with this reaction?_

Before he could imagine anything further, Momoka had fled from the room. He turned back to look at her friends imploringly. They all knew what his feelings for Momoka were, and were exceptionally kind to him. "She went to wash her face," one of them murmured in response. "I hope she's okay," she added. This was their subtle way of encouraging him. Kazukiyo gave the girl who'd spoken a grateful nod.

_Here goes nothing._ He gulped and followed his co-class rep out of the room.

"Kurakano-san!"

Momoka turned. _Oh, please, _Kazukiyo pleaded internally, _let that be water on her face, and not tears._

"Oh, Kazukiyo-kun!" That smile was fake. She really did try her best at everything.

"Kurakano-san, are… are you okay?"

"Ah…y-yeah." As Momoka spoke, blood rushed to Kazukiyo's face and ears. Momoka ignored this and laughed lightly, keeping up with her charade. "I'm fine," she repeated. "I'm sorry for making you worry about me."

Kazukiyo lowered his head. How stupid of him to follow her. What had he been planning to do, anyway? She wouldn't talk to him.

"You see, my card…"

Or maybe she would.

"The name on my card is the name of the person I like." Her pale cheeks took on the prettiest color. Like cherry blossoms.

Kazukiyo's own face was more the color of a ruby-red rose. "The… person you like, Kurakano-san?"

She nodded slowly. "I thought it was just a silly crush, to be honest. But the way I feel now, seeing his name on my card, I—" she seemed to suddenly realize something, and cut her words short.

Kazukiyo tried to smile comfortingly, but inside, he felt crushed. There's no way she'd be telling him so much if it was his own name on her card. He couldn't let himself show his feelings, though. This was about something more important: supporting his childhood friend. "What are you going to do, Kurakano-san?"

She looked him directly in the eyes with a familiar expression. It had been a long time since Kazukiyo had seen it, but he still recognized it. He smiled internally. It was a bit nostalgic. This was the look she used to give him in middle school when the two were best friends, and Momoka had confided everything in Kazukiyo.

"Do you think… maybe I should tell him how I feel?"

Kazukiyo almost winced, but he caught himself just in time. He forced all of the negative thoughts out of his mind and only allowed himself to think one thing: _Be supportive. BE SUPPORTIVE!_

"Yeah. I think whoever it is will be glad to hear your feelings, Kurakano-san." And that was the awful truth. As cute as Momoka was, it was likely that her feelings would be returned.

Momoka smiled brightly. "Thanks, Kazukiyo-kun," she said softly. She stepped forward and hugged him tightly for a moment.

In his astonishment, Kazukiyo did not even have time to get angry with himself for blushing. He took in a deep breath and managed to stammer out four words. "Shall we go back?"

Momoka nodded. "Un."

-----------------

As Kazukiyo left the classroom that day, Kaoru leaned in close to Kazukiyo. "That was a brilliantly chivalrous display," he whispered.

------------------

"Kaoru," Hikaru sighed, drawing out his brother's name indolently. "He's not coming. Let's go home."

"No, wait a little longer. I said something to provoke him earlier, and I'm sure he'll come to ask about it."

"Can I go ahead, then? I'm tired of waiting."

Kaoru shot him a desperate look, and Hikaru sighed and placed an affirming hand on his shoulder. "I'm only joking. I won't leave."

Kaoru relaxed a little.

-------------------------

When the door finally opened, his face looked hopeful, but it was only Haruhi.

"Ah, we thought you were Souga."

"Huh?" Haruhi looked distracted. "Class rep left a little while ago. If you need something, you might be able to catch up with him."

"Nah, it can't be helped. It can wait for tomorrow."

_Damn,_ Kaoru thought. _My calculations were wrong._

"Hey, it happens," Hikaru said, briefly tightening his grip on Kaoru's shoulder. "Let's go home."

Kaoru gave his brother a somnolent smile and a nod. After all, this was just about as comforting as Hikaru had ever been.

------------------------------------

Author's Notes: Hi everyone. Let's see… Part of the reason this chapter was delayed for so long was… I didn't remember how Kazukiyo and Momoka address each other. XD

Since I usually write on school computers with no speakers, I had to look up a sub group that kept the name suffixes and whatnot in their translations and find their version of episode 21 on a site that is not banned at school. It was quite a task, but thanks to Lunar Anime and I managed it. As it turns out, even though they're childhood friends, Kazukiyo addresses Momoka as Kurakano-san. As much as I adore him and think his shyness is cute… damn, he needs more confidence! XD Thus, Kaoru is there to help him gain it. Although, by the looks of this chapter… does everyone think he's still trying to help? Sorry, but I'll have to make that another cliff-hanger.

After that, I got sick. Because of that I've decided not to do the double-release after all, because I figured I'd better hurry up and post something.

Oh, and before I forget, I have to throw in a plug... please look up hayai-akurei on deviantart. You will find some lovely artwork there, including a couple of Tetsuya x Kasanoda drawings that just make me want to squeal with happiness. XD

Well, I have that other chapter in the works still… It's a new couple. An obscure one that'll surely be a big surprise to most of you. Since I'll have that finished fairly soon, I really need to beg you any for requests you may have concerning couples to write about, plot ideas, or just little things you'd like me to slip in. They REALLY help me to shape the story, and make it more interesting. Reviews and requests are immensely appreciated.

Later!


	8. Chapter 8 Nekozawa x ?

It was such a normal day for something so bizarre to happen.

"Ow— hey!" Haruhi rubbed her forehead and looked up at the person who'd just run straight into her, knocking her off her feet. At first she didn't recognize the soft golden hair and bright blue eyes, but then something clicked in her memory. "N-Nekozawa?" The normally dark and mysterious figure was out in the open, free of his usual black cloak and wig. Even his peculiar cat-shaped hand-puppet was gone from his person.

"You—ah, excuse me, uh…" Nekozawa looked around wildly, as if trying to remember his lines in a play.

Haruhi looked up at Nekozawa with her enormous brown eyes. "Could it be… is this about Kirimi-chan again…?" Even as she spoke, Haruhi spied a bit of crumpled paper on the floor before her. Picking it up, she finally overcame her initial shock enough to stand up. Nekozawa's eyes widened, and he snatched the paper away before Haruhi could read more than a few words. "Forgive me," he choked out, and disappeared down the hallway.

"And that's what happened," Haruhi finished at last. She met eyes with Hikaru, Tamaki, and Kaoru one at a time. The three sat in a circle around her as if participating in kindergarten story time. "So, have any of you noticed him acting weird at all?"

"Not really," Kaoru offered. "Rather, we haven't seen him at all lately."

"With or without his usual get-up," Hikaru added in confirmation.

"Haruhi, did you see what was written on the note?" Tamaki's eyes were filled with wonder, but he certainly didn't know just what to make of the story yet.

"A bit," Haruhi said slowly, turning her eyes to the ceiling to try to recall the words. "Let's see, it was… 'Fairest of maidens,' or something. I only had time to read a few words."

"Ah, is _that_ it." The twins spoke in unison, grinning and turning to face each other. "Kaoru, do you realize what this means? To think that such a darkened soul would sacrifice his ideals for the sake of love…"

"Yes, Hikaru! His devotion is magnificent. We can only stand in awe of such a self-giving gesture. And so close to St. Valentine's Day…" The two spoke dramatically with eyes gleaming.

"Indeed," Tamaki put in, massaging his chin thoughtfully. "It's much more than we could expect from one such as him. Bravo! What beautiful things love does do to one's spirit." He threw his arms out so wide that the twins had to duck to either side to avoid being hit.

"Oh," Haruhi said shortly, "Nekozawa has someone he likes."

Kyouya had briefly stopped to listen and had a pen poised over his clipboard. "I assume, due to your positive response to these events, that you have already discovered who Nekozawa has his eyes on."

Tamaki turned his head to shoot Kyouya a blank look.

"I see. So you're simply acting carelessly out of naïveté." He adjusted he slipped his pen into the clip on his clipboard and adjusted his glasses. "If you do not know who it is that Nekozawa fancies, you must leave everyone open to possibility, correct?" He walked around to stand next to Haruhi. Tamaki sat up straight, his full attention on his bespectacled friend. "Consider, then," Kyouya continued, "Nekozawa's apprehensive behavior towards Haruhi this morning." Another nod from Tamaki, who was still in the dark.

The twins, who had begun to get bored and wander away, turned back to look.

"Are you suggesting, then," Hikaru said,

"that Haruhi is the one Nekozawa is in love with?" As Kaoru finished the statement, Tamaki's eyes bulged, and he jumped up from where he'd sat.

"That can't be!" Tamaki only let himself entertain the image of Haruhi dressed in gothic Lolita fashion before he shook his head, blushing blatantly. "I cannot let our daughter be lured into the occult, no matter what Nekozawa is willing to sacrifice in order to win her hand!"

Kyouya nodded, jotted something down, and went off to tend to something elsewhere. _I only said to consider the possibility,_ he thought wearily. _Why does he always have to get so carried away?_

Five minutes later, Kyouya calmly but resolutely declined to be a part of the Redirection of Nekozawa's Feelings to Someone Other Than Haruhi Committee.

"It's pointless, what you're doing," he said lightly. "Well, probably."

Two days later, the Committee disbanded. This is how it happened.

Nekozawa clutched the letter in his hand. It was written on stationery made to look like parchment, and the words were written in purple pen with curly, round letters. _I've liked you for a long time, but I was too intimidated to admit my feelings,_ the note alleged. Nekozawa felt sure that this was a trick, but he'd played enough tricks of his own to merit it. _Please meet me in room 1-C after school on Thursday. I am definitely ready for you to hear my feelings now._ The note ended there, unsigned. Of course, she would be rejected. After all…

"Ah. Is someone in here?" It was the twins who entered the unlit room, much to Nekozawa's disgust. "There was a girl standing outside of here for a long time," one of them claimed. "She finally turned and ran off," the other said, forefinger against his temple. "Were you waiting for someone?" What Nekozawa didn't know was that the airy carelessness the twins had was merely an act; they were both a little scared of messing with the superstitious prince.

"I felt no female energy emanating from outside this room," Nekozawa asserted.

"Oh, is that so?"

"It is indeed." He hadn't really been paying attention, and now he was spacing out even more. Had there been someone there? Was she too shy after all? All the same, he grinned. It was just one less thing to worry about.

The twins, not sure of the meaning of that mysterious smile, readily took their leave.

The next day, the twins declared the game of playing with Nekozawa's emotions "boring" and would have no more to do with it.

Desperately, Tamaki begged them to help, ultimately to no avail.

Half-heartedly placing a hand on Tamaki's shoulder, Kyouya sighed. "There's no need to worry. I know who it is Nekozawa fancies."

Tamaki looked up with wide puppy-dog eyes. "You mean… isn't it Haruhi?"

Kyouya reached into his jacket pocket and produced a folded piece of parchment. Unfolding it revealed elegant calligraphic letters that read:

_My fairest of all maidens,_

_From within the shadows I watch you_

_Hair like the waves of the blackest ocean_

_As dark as night and sharp as a scythe_

_This feeling falls against my neck and encompasses my heart_

_I long to flee, but an unwelcome desire draws me back in_

_This emotion that is so sickeningly sweet_

_So unbearably unwelcome_

_Drips as blood or tears and falls clear against my open palms_

_Such is my love for you_

Tamaki's eyes got wider still. "Kyouya! Where… where did you get this?"

He rolled his eyes behind his glasses. "From the girl to whom it was written. Surely you know that Haruhi could never be described as possessing hair 'like waves of the ocean'; it is much to short. Do you feel better now?"

The twins and Haruhi also crowded in to look. Kyouya's clipboard displayed a neatly organized time table, and, scanning it with his eyes, he explained, "These are the days within the last two weeks that Nekozawa has been sighted in or near the third music room." He glanced up to see that Tamaki was listening, and continued. "As you can see, there are only two girls who were present an all of those days, one of whom has straight, short hair, which only leaves…"

"Ah," the twins said in unison.

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Author's Notes: Hmmm, so this chapter was written a little differently from the others. I didn't put in space breaks or anything, because I think the way I wrote it made it pretty clear when and where everything occurred. I apologize if it was confusing.

Anyway, hmmm... I wonder who it is that Nekozawa likes? I don't have much time to write now because I'm at school, but I might come back and drop a hint or two later. So. Comments? Questions? Happy thoughts? Requests? Please review, because reviews are my life energy! Much love!


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